[TN-Bird] Tennessee Star Search

From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 08:42:18 EST
Dec. 21-22, 2002
Shelby Co.-Lauderdale Co.
Reelfoot Area, Pace Point Area

Looking for a few more stars to add to my year list........

I started Saturday morning on the Mississippi River, which is on a hurried 
rise and now sweeping whole trees toward New Orleans. Since there are no 
sandbars left to roost on, the gull numbers are way down. I then spent some 
time in the Wolf River Bottoms where I was churrrred at simultaneously by two 
House Wrens that poised for photographs.

I spent 2 hours roaming the Forked Deer Bottoms searching for swans and could 
not even find the four I had on Friday afternoon. It has been years since I 
had been in some of that area and I had forgotten about the extensive 
flooding. The Wild Turkeys had been pushed out of the bottoms in many areas 
and were feeding in the fields. I paid my, almost yearly, pilgrimage to 
NUTBUSH, the birthplace of Tina Turner. 

At Lauderdale Water Fowl Refuge, I had a single Ross's Goose, 3 Blue Geese 
and 28 Greater White-fronted, besides the horde of Mallards, the second most 
numerous species, as it has been most of the season, was Ring-necked Duck. A 
couple of Bald Eagles were feeding on cripples and a pair of Harriers 
patrolled the dikes. I had Lapland Longspurs in small flocks in the 
surrounding area.

An afternoon run-around at Reelfoot produced Lapland Longspurs at 5 locations 
with the largest flock containing about 350 birds and total for the area 
about 750. The large flock was working corn stubble off the Great River Road 
west of Markham. Another good size group was seen just south of the State 
Line Road north of Phillippy. The duck and gull population out on the lake 
was down from last week. I make a couple of stops at dusk on the south end to 
look for the murrelet. One area was flooded and the wind was blowing into the 
protected area and the water was too choppy. The 3 Common Merganser females 
can still be seen from Keystone Pocket. I did not see the White Pelicans but 
did not put in much time. 

In the Pace Point area on Sunday, I found Common Loons on both the Tennessee 
and Big Sandy Rivers in equal numbers with a total count of 98 birds, which 
is just about right for the winter. No uncommon loons were found. Again, 
overall both gull and duck numbers appeared to be down; I'm sure the fish 
kill two weeks ago lowered prey numbers and easy food. It still is a great 
place and I had good totals on the following species: Pied-billed Grebe - 
324+, Horned Grebe - 852+, EARED GREBE - 1 the north cove at Britton Ford 
parking area. A bird that is pretty rare around here in the winter, distant 
photos, Common Goldeneye - 738+ mostly in the Big Sandy Reach, Canvasback - 
458+, LONG-TAILED DUCK - 2 females, photographed together off Trailer Rd., 
SURF SCOTERS - 8 in the middle cove at Britton Ford, Golden Eagle at Britton 
Ford.

Total waterfowl species for the weekend was an amazing 26 species which I 
think is my highest weekend number ever. Only 2 Redhead Ducks were seen and 
they were at Britton Ford. We missed this species last week on the Reelfoot 
CBC. 

I did run into three different gulls that took some long studies, those birds 
can get really weird.

Anybody got any Crossbill or Evening Grosbeaks anywhere?

Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.


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[TN-Bird] Tennessee Star Search

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